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The adult-centric concept of 'age-appropriateness' is an arbitrary signifier and yet it commands a powerful common-sense appeal in governing the shape of sexuality education. The visibility of LGBTQ+ lives in primary schools is deeply impacted by the cis-heteronormative ways in which age-appropriateness is commonly understood and mobilised; very often resulting in silence and delay. The concept of age-appropriateness also becomes entangled with moral panics about 'promoting' LGBTQ+ lives, or children being somehow 'recruited' to identify as LGBTQ+. This paper draws on findings from a study with the parents of eleven trans and gender diverse children (then aged between 5 and 13) conducted in 2017, as well as a follow-up study conducted with seven participants from the same group of parents and children in 2022. The paper explores how the politics of age and agency intersect and become intensified as trans and gender diverse children and their parents navigate and make decisions about their bodies, lives and everyday worlds in primary schools. These stories of trans and gender diverse children provide an arresting invitation to adults to attend closely to the rich stories of children themselves in (re)considering the potential of sexuality education across contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of culturally diverse young people's rights and needs to sexuality education has been raised internationally. However, existing literature has generally focused more on how culturally diverse young people navigate western mainstream societies, leaving the Asian context underexamined. This paper explores the experiences and views of South Asian minority youth of sexuality education at home and in school in Hong Kong, informed by rights-based and cultural competence perspectives of sexuality education, and using a qualitative descriptive methodology. The findings identified four themes: (1) the double silence experienced at home and school; (2) marriage within the same religion and caste; (3) gender role expectations to be caring women and protective men, and (4) the need for culturally targeted sexuality education. This paper contributes to scholarship on sexuality education by advancing the knowledge base by means of a case study conducted in Hong Kong, an Asian multicultural context that differs from western multicultural societies. It elucidates the meaning of cultural sensitivity and cultural competence by stressing the negotiability of cultural norms and taboos and identifying the practical implications for conducting sexuality education in a multicultural city like Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed growing acceptance of gender and sexuality diversity in Australia; yet, its inclusion in the school curriculum remains contentious. Despite evidence to the contrary, there is a commonly held belief that parents consider the inclusion of such topics inappropriate. In the light of this, this paper focuses on an analysis of three qualitative items from an Australian national survey of parents of children attending government-funded schools. Informed by the responses to these questions, we sought to better understand the concept of age-appropriateness present in the discourses deployed by a (minority) number of Australian parents who did not support gender and sexuality diversity-inclusivity in the curriculum. Thematic data analysis identified three key themes used by parents to warrant gender and sexuality diversity curriculum exclusion based on age inappropriateness: namely, inclusion is 'confusing'; children are too 'immature'; and children are too 'easily influenced'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores teenage girls' responses to general advice, and formal prevention messages, designed to reduce sexting-related risk and prevent harm. We conducted workshops with seven groups of girls (28 in total), aged 16–17 years, in a New Zealand city. Each group participated in a series of three workshop sessions. Drawing on a Freirean 'problem-posing' approach, we designed the workshops as spaces in which girls were invited to observe and critically discuss norms related to sharing nudes as well as harm prevention messages. Girls noticed the problematic gender and sexual politics that shape abstinence-based models that target girls (implicitly) to not send nudes, but which leave boys who distribute or otherwise misuse them out of the picture. Participants navigated a careful path between attending to risk and protection on the one hand, and endorsing their right to freedom of expression on the other. We argue for a subtle, but significant, shift away from a focus on sexting safety to a focus on the prevention of image-based sexual coercion, harassment and abuse. This reframing would help to direct prevention efforts to the gendered drivers and dynamics of harm perpetration, and the ways in which they are problematically socially ignored or condoned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel forms of social media created 'by-and-for' women offer potentially new ways of communicating and constructing sex education. In this paper, we consider how Instagram is being used by sex educators to deploy discourses of resistance and erotics to educate about sex. Our method consisted of a combined critical discourse (CDA) and content analysis of Instagram posts (n = 200) from a small sample of influential feminist/queer sex education accounts that use informative text and illustration-based posts. Framed by Carmody's concept of ethical erotics, we identify four discursive categories in such Instagram content: pleasure positivity; communication and dynamic consent; sex as an experience not a performance; and challenging heteronormative constructions of sex. We argue that the affordances of Instagram provide a platform for the promotion of sex education that centres pleasure and ethical erotics to rectify limited and harmful heteronormative representations of sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's experience of harm and abuse has a profound impact on their health and well-being. In response, school-based prevention programmes have been developed and delivered by external organisations with the aim of improving children's awareness and understanding of forms of harm and abuse which may affect them, encouraging them to seek help if needed. In September 2020, Relationships Education became statutory within the primary school curriculum in England and this ratification is likely to increase demand for externally delivered classroom-based programmes, which address the broad range of topics to be covered within this field. However, evidence is required to understand the impact and acceptability of such programmes. This paper presents qualitative findings from a larger mixed-methods study. Focus group discussions with 29 children explored their responses to one Healthy Relationships programme delivered to primary school children aged 10 and 11 in England. Analysis focuses specifically on responses to the topics of sexual abuse prevention and help-seeking. Children's widespread support for the programme indicates that topics are relevant and the opportunity to explore these issues is valued. However, for effective programme implementation, schools and parents need to be prepared, and prevention messages should continue to be embedded throughout children's school lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent-adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) communication plays an important role in reducing sexual risk behaviour and preventing HIV. We sought to enhance limited information about the unique barriers to parent-adolescent SRH communication in the Arab states. This mixed-methods study, using a two-phase sequential explorative design, was conducted in 15 public secondary schools (with grades 5 to 10 students aged 10 to 15 years) in Oman. In phase one, 15 parents participated in two single-sex focus group discussions and two in-depth individual interviews. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. In phase two, a convenience sample of 250 parents completed a paper-based self-administered questionnaire. Findings showed that parents rarely communicated with their children about SRH concerns, including HIV. Barriers to more open parent-adolescent SRH communication include the fear that such discussion might encourage early sexual debut; feelings of shyness, discomfort and shame; associated socio-cultural taboos; gender mismatch; and lack of SRH knowledge. Findings suggest the need for parental SRH education and training and school based SRH education programmes to improve adolescent SRH. Experience developing these may be helpful to other countries with similar religious beliefs and socio-cultural traditions seeking to improve parent-adolescent SRH communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and asexual (LGBTQA+) Australians are vulnerable to religion-based attempts to change or suppress their sexuality and/or gender identity, including conversion ideology messaging in school-based sex education. Conversion bans are currently being debated across the country. This paper reports on a critical survivor-driven study which retrospectively explored Australian LGBTQA+ youth exposure to conversion practices both within and outside of education settings. It privileges the perspectives of self-titled 'survivors' of conversion ideology and practices through the use of a reference group and constructivist grounded theory. Qualitative data were collected 20 from Australian LGBTQA+ conversion ideology and/or practice survivors aged 18 years and over, using focus groups and 35 individual interviews between 2016 and 2020. In conversion-promoting religious contexts including education institutions and groups, messages concerning sexuality and gender changed as individuals grew older and were drawn into more/enclosed settings in which core conversion messages of LGBTQA+ 'brokenness' were prevalent. While individuals progressed through the conversion experience in different ways, their experience was characterised by the absence of any form of affirming LGBTQA+ education – enabling conversion itself to become their LGBTQA+ (mis)information source. School policy addressing conversion, alongside enhanced provision of affirmative age-appropriate gender and sexuality education, may mediate this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While consent forms part of the Health, Wellbeing and Relationships strand of the New South Wales (NSW) Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) curriculum in Australia, it is not consistently or effectively delivered within schools. The recent e-campaign, Teach Us Consent in NSW, drew attention to the alarmingly high rates of sexual assault experienced by young women during their school years or shortly after. The campaign called for mandatory, inclusive and comprehensive consent education in schools. This paper presents research from a case study of an elite, same-sex, Catholic boys' school in NSW, Australia, examining the types of knowledge and attitudes young men and their PDHPE teachers had about sexual consent and the types of consent pedagogies mobilised. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with the five male PDHPE teachers, and a focus group was conducted with five Year 11 male students (aged 16–17). The findings highlight that while participants recognised the importance of sexual consent in intimate relationships, consent pedagogies were grounded in individualising discourses of risk, responsibility and care, which rearticulated hegemonic gender norms. Findings from this study contribute to discussions of how schools approach consent education, and the limitations presented by outsourcing relationships and sex education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of research and education, sexual and gender-based violence remain distressingly prevalent on university and college campuses globally. The taboos associated with sex, gender inequity, and living in a patriarchal world where misogyny is glorified and criminalised are key socio-cultural determinants driving these forms of violence. Less is known about the ways in which sexual slang or terminology impact how students experience and talk about these events. This paper reports on findings from a participatory action study that explored sexual slang use among female and male undergraduate students (n = 23) with the aim of creating more responsive sexual and gender-based violence policies and practices. The terms identified (n = 59) provide a window into the daily lives of these young people, who display remarkable socio-linguistic adaptation and creativity. They also demonstrate how cultural appropriation, the exclusion of queer students, toxic masculinitycontribute to ongoing incidents of sexual and gender-based violence on campus. These findings contribute new insights into sexual terminology among post-secondary students, particularly in the Canadian context where few studies of this nature exist. They also acknowledge the critical role universities can play in making meaningful structural change to prevent traumatic events from occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary school educators in Australia are often uncertain about parents' perspectives when it comes to teaching about relationships and sexuality education in schools. Teachers, school leaders, parents and the broader community continue to struggle with the best way to educate children about the many topics that fall under the banner of relationships and sexuality education. This paper explores the perspectives of primary school parents in Queensland, Australia adding to the growing body of research in internationally about parents' perspectives on relationships and sexuality education in primary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies some of the methodological considerations involved in narrative research with conservative faith groups, while addressing the things left unsaid through an exploration of silence in the author's own life narrative of faith and sexuality. The challenges posed by silence – temporal silence and concealment – require greater focus in narrative research methods. Moreover, the pervasive and palpable effects of silence in sexuality research with (nominally) Evangelical Christians calls into question what we (can) know about sexuality in conservative faith communities using qualitative research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) inequities often aim to improve school-based sexuality education and reduce individual risk behaviours. Structural determinants are more rarely the focus of interventions. The youth service providers who formed the community advisory board for this community-based participatory research project identified school-based opportunities to improve ASRH by mitigating the impact of social determinants and structural violence on adolescent health. Semi-structured interviews with board members revealed four areas of potential social support intervention that could mitigate these structural determinants, including mentorship, especially for young people who lack supportive relationships at home; small adult-facilitated groups and clubs at school; staffing and training to meet the needs of historically marginalised students; and school-based counselling. These findings indicate the need for school-based programmes that transcend conventional and short-term didactic forms of sexuality education, to foster social support and address interconnected structural factors affecting ASRH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role that Equity Directors play in K-12 schools to understand how these roles are structured in districts, the supports and challenges directors experience, and whether and how they integrate gender and sexual diversity topics into district diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten participants from nine school districts across the USA that had non-discrimination laws addressing gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. Main themes identified from the data concern participant positionality; district climate and priorities; professional development; challenges; and gender and sexual diversity. Most participants had leadership supportive of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts and reported that professional development was a central expectation of much of their work, but time, priorities and content varied. We recommend taking a multi-pronged approach to DEI work that addresses structures to support DEI initiatives, hiring priorities and resources. Intersectional approaches to DEI education should be prioritised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer education is a widely used strategy in sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programmes for young people, yet measurement of its effectiveness often focuses on a narrow set of outcomes. This qualitative study explored how peer education was integrated into the Get Up, Speak Out for Youth Rights! (GUSO) programme in Kisumu and Siaya Counties, Kenya and the contribution it made to measured and unmeasured outcomes. Findings indicate that whilst peer educators were a central part of the GUSO theory of change, the intentionality of design varied between partners and sites, and their contributions were formally measured only in relation to two of five outcome areas. In addition to their contributions to these measured outcomes, the study found that peer educators also contributed to a range of other, unmeasured outcomes related to community support and mobilisation; gender norms; and economic empowerment. Findings show that peer educators may contribute to many unmeasured – and sometimes unexpected – outcomes that go beyond traditional measurement of their contributions. These merit further exploration in the literature and in programming. Programme developers are encouraged to be more intentional in the design and measurement of peer education, ensuring that the breadth of its contribution to programming are recognised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education contributes to poor SRH outcomes for adolescents and young people in Sub-Saharan Africa. School-based comprehensive SRH education programmes in low- and middle-income countries aim to advance gender equality and human rights and reduce risky sexual behaviours in adolescents. However, the implementation of these programmes in Northern Nigeria is opposed by community and religious institutions because of mistrust of health interventions perceived as being framed on Western ideologies. This study explored perceptions of such programmes among secondary school staff in Northern Nigeria. We focused on knowledge and beliefs about comprehensive SRH education programmes, and views about barriers to delivery and ways to support their inclusion in schools. Sixteen semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers and head teachers. Participants were aged 33–54 years and came from four public secondary schools in two states (Kano and Jigawa). Findings showed conflicting gender-based perspectives on the importance of comprehensive SRH education in schools. Barriers to delivery included lack of adequate skills and knowledge, beliefs/cultural norms and wider societal barriers. Involving traditional and religious leaders and schools in the design of tailored approaches could strengthen future delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive school environments have been shown to improve educational outcomes, retention, mental health and overall wellbeing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. Anti-bullying approaches have been common strategies used in schools to promote safety for all students, yet a well-established critique among scholars and educators suggests such approaches by themselves are insufficient. Little research exists investigating the spatial aspects of forming LGBTQ-inclusive school cultures. This article reports on an Australian study exploring teachers' and school staff understandings of how space influences inclusion and how they negotiateed or established 'safe spaces' for LGBTQ students. Drawing on the work of Edward Soja, we explored how participants constituted safety in conceived and perceived spaces, and how this informed the ways in which physical environments were established in the lived space to promote inclusion. We reveal the role of physical, discursive and curriculum spaces in everyday schooling activities and practices to promote LGBTQ inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of the HPV vaccine in Chile in 2014, there have been few studies exploring parental perspectives on the vaccine or on adolescent sex and sexuality education, and even fewer exploring fathers' perspectives. Subsequent to an earlier study of Chilean mothers' attitudes towards the HPV vaccine and adolescent sexual health and education, we conducted a study of fathers' attitudes. Fathers with children aged 9–19 years were recruited at an outpatient clinic in Linares, Chile. Thirty semi-structured face to face interviews were analysed using Grounded Theory methodology. Fathers overall lacked knowledge about HPV and the vaccine. With regards to sex education at home, three salient themes centred on the fathers being part of a 'transition generation.' While fathers expressed positive attitudes towards sex education at home and sought to have more open conversations with their children than they had with their own parents, stereotypical gender roles were barriers to putting these desires into action. Future regional and national sexual health initiatives should engage with gender equity policy change and equip fathers to engage in open, non-judgemental conversation with their children about sex and sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and inequitable access to education and services, few studies have addressed the unique sex education needs of newcomer youth in Canada and other increasingly demographically diverse Western countries. This study involved the design, implementation and evaluation of a novel and innovative participatory action research project, SExT: Sex Education by Theatre. SExT is a theatre-based, culturally empowering, peer education intervention piloted in a multicultural area of Toronto. Young people were trained as peer educators through participation in theatre-based workshops culminating in the performance of a new play for peers. Mixed methods evaluation involved surveys, focus groups, peer interviews and arts-based data collection. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to investigate changes in sexual health self-efficacy (protection, STI/HIV testing, sexual limit-setting) over three time-points (pre, post, 4-month follow-up). Thematic analysis was used to gain a deeper understanding of outcomes. Quantitative analysis demonstrated significant improvements in outcome measures from pre– to post-intervention that were maintained at follow-up. Qualitative data indicated increased sexual health self-efficacy attributed to SExT. Pilot study findings suggest that SExT may serve as a model for sexual health interventions in areas populated by newcomer and other priority youth groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to identify Iranian preschool children's (N = 318) knowledge of genital and non-genital body parts. Assessment consisted of children naming selected external body parts in drawings of same-sex counterparts. Results indicated that almost all children knew the correct terms for their non-genital body parts, but few knew the correct terminology for their genitals. Many used slang terms and some appeared embarrassed or reluctant to reply (girls were more likely than boys not to respond). No statistically significant difference between the sex of children in knowledge of correct names of all genitals emerged. Boys knew the correct name of their genitalia (penis) significantly more than girls. Results indicated children are learning the names of their body parts but not their genitals, perhaps indicative of a lack of sexual health education that may be representative of the conservative culture in Iran. It is critical for young children to learn about their genitals as this knowledge provides the foundation for subsequent sex education and facilitates discussion about bodily safety to prevent sexual abuse. When children learn these names, it can facilitate disclosure of abuse and can assist those working with young children in medical settings, child protection and legal arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the experiences of counselling students engaged in an online sexuality course to better understand how to prepare multiculturally competent future clinicians. A phenomenological approach was adopted which reports on findings from 5 student participants enrolled in an online class. Data for the study were collected through course dairy entries in course modules and follow-up face-to-face semi-structured interviews with all participants. Four themes were identified to reflect how the researchers interpreted student's experiences of the course. These were: the importance of early life experiences; the significance of pre-course later life influences; experiences of the course; and timing. Each of these themes carried implications for the future provision of the sexuality education and training provided as part of counsellor education programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in STD cases in Indiana communities have led to questions about the sexual health of adolescents. School-based sex education can help teenagers adopt healthy attitudes and behaviours. Effective sex education programmes should involve learning from adolescents and young people about their health needs. Student voice, however, is generally absent in curriculum development. This study explored rural young people aged 14–18 years' perceptions of current sex education; opinions about abstinence-only-until-marriage and comprehensive sex education (CSE) curricula; and preferences for future sex education development. Focus groups and surveys were used to elicit high school students' opinions. Constant comparative approach was used for data contextualisation and theme identification. Analysis revealed participants perceive that current sex education content does not relate to them; abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education is impractical either now or later; young people frequently resist abstinence-only-until-marriage education; students want information that helps keep them safe sexually. Taken together, study findings reveal ideal sex education curricula contain relevant, relatable and reliable information. Incorporating these '3Rs' can help students better engage with and apply sex education information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational efforts to reduce global rates of adolescent pregnancy vary widely with a significant deficiency in the domain of sex education facilitator training. In this study, we sought to establish a pilot approach to comprehensive sex education facilitator training in Riobamba, Ecuador. The approach was aligned with UNESCO recommendations for training facilitators using an adapted version of the U.S.-based Big Decisions curriculum. Four internationally recruited bilingual instructors led a six-day (27-hour) intensive training-of-facilitators programme with twenty trainees using the Big Decisions sex education curriculum. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted using various approaches: anonymised and pre/post-self-assessments, daily feedback surveys of self and instructors, and facilitation practice evaluations. Responses to anonymised surveys indicated improved self-perceived confidence in teaching each curriculum section. More objective pre- and post-teach-back evaluations showed improved ability to teach randomly assigned lessons as assessed by trainers. The pedagogy of facilitator training in comprehensive sex education seeks to combine evidence-informed and culturally appropriate approaches to training facilitators under unique local conditions using adapted assessment tools. This project identified important culturally relevant insights relevant to the future training of comprehensive sex education facilitators working within culturally conservative communities, and Latin America in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly conversations regarding sexual violence and sexuality education typically emphasise cisgender and heterosexual experiences, leaving sexual and gender minority young people's voices unheard. This happens despite adolescence being a crucial period for the onset of sexual violence, with sexual and gender minority youth reporting elevated levels of victimisation. Moreover, the preponderance of research focusing on victimisation suggests notable gaps in our understanding of sexual violence perpetration. This study examined contextual factors shaping sexual violence victimisation and perpetration among sexual and gender minority youth, with school playing a key role. Based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 50 young people aged 14–26 years who self-reported sexual violence perpetration in the Growing Up with Media survey, the analysis demonstrates how schooling's 'hidden curriculum' leaves sexual and gender minority youth ill-equipped to navigate the world of sexuality. Formal sexuality education remains heteronormative and gender-segregated, resulting in incomplete understandings of sexual violence. At the informal level, gendered double standards and peer norms reinforce the second-class sexual citizenship of sexual and gender minority youth. Our findings suggest that schools may be complicit in sexual violence victimisation and perpetration by sending limited and mixed messages regarding gender and sexuality. Research and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past efforts to address endemic rates of sexually transmissible infections amongst young Aboriginal people living in remote/very remote Australian communities have had limited success. Peer education has been used in youth sexual health promotion but has received limited evaluation and has not been tested in remote Aboriginal settings. The Young Deadly Free youth peer education programme trained Aboriginal young people in 15 remote/very remote communities as peer educators to deliver sexual health education to other young people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the project team and regional coordinators to understand the barriers and enablers to implementing peer education in remote communities. Programme credibility, the offer of financial gratuities, and the recruitment of peer educators with prior sexual health knowledge and/or group facilitation experience were identified as programme enablers. Implementation challenges included programme rigidity, cultural sensitivities, and retention and expectations of peer educators. Seven implications for policy and practice are identified to increase the efficacy and long term-impacts of youth peer education. Peer education for youth sexual health promotion in remote communities can be effective if young peer educators are supported appropriately and the peer education programme is part of a comprehensive sexual health promotion strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about how teachers' personal sexual experiences influence their motivations and practices when teaching sexuality education. Cultural schema theory was used to explore teachers' personal experience of the onset of sexual activity and explain how sexuality education teaching is influenced by such experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 secondary school teachers in Kampala, Uganda. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using principles of grounded theory. Findings show that while teachers' personal experience of sexual initiation did not directly align with the content of their messages, due to the centrality and evocative function of these schemas these experiences strengthened teachers' motivation to teach sexuality education because they enabled them to empathise with students. The study concludes that teachers' personal experiences of sexual initiation provide intrinsic motivation for teaching sexuality education. The inclusion of dialogues and activities which encourage self-reflexivity in teacher education and training may improve the delivery of sex, sexuality and relationships education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on interviews with fifteen writers of real person fiction – a type of fanfiction – about British boy band One Direction. Most interviewees began writing these romantic, often sexually explicit, stories between the ages of 12 and 16. Results indicate that many writers learned how to write about sex by reading other explicit One Direction real person fiction stories. This process functioned as a peer-led form of sex education for many writers, helping them to develop more detailed sexual scripts. Interviewees also emphasised the prevalence of 'bad boy' characters in their stories. Often, bad boys were sexually aggressive or emotionally manipulated the female protagonist. While writers knew these characters were 'bad,' many nonetheless found them appealing. A few interviewees reported seeking out bad boys in real life or tolerating a romantic partner's bad behaviour because they had learned such behaviour was normal or desirable via their participation on Wattpad. The findings of this research suggest the need for updates to sexual super peer theory and sexual scripting theory in contemporary online contexts, as well as contribute to understanding of the impact of adolescents' participation in online contexts involving sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sex education has been found to improve young people's sexual and reproductive health, no formal programmes exist in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to assess the views of stakeholders on the need for sex education programmes for adolescents in Saudi Arabia, suggested forms of provision, and views on the information provided in Science and Religion curricula. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with policy-makers, healthcare providers, teachers and religious scholars. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Unanimity was expressed on the need for school-based sex education programmes. When asked who should deliver them, stakeholders differentiated between who should be in charge of designing the programmes and who should deliver them. Tension was evident on the role of religious scholars within these two phases of implementation. The inclusion of information that might seem to 'encourage sinful' premarital sexual experience was contentious. Although scientific and religious messaging strategies were viewed as non-contradictory, opinions differed as to which messaging strategy to focus on. Information in the 2013 curricula was criticised by some as inaccurate, promoting an 'othering' of Westerner and inciting fear. However, more recent curricula have omitted several of these criticised passages and may provide an opportunity to expand the focus on sexual health-related topics within the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]